What we've done

For whatever reason, I'm fascinated by cities and countries that have suffered great calamity. Maybe it's morbid curiosity, maybe I'm just transfixed by human resolve in the face of tragedy. But I can't stop myself from looking.

Por ejemplo, last night I watched an hour-long Weather Channel documentary about the hurricane that flattened Galveston in 1900 after the Cowboys-Redskins game. More than anything, I found it amazing that one of Thomas Edison's assistants was able to sneak one of the first video cameras onto the island to record some of the damage. If you can, check it out.

Anyway, I came across this link about photos from post-war Hiroshima via Andrew Sullivan's spot. I think, especially here in America, that we too often dismiss the horror we've inflicted on others and obsess over our own miseries.

These pictures, like the one above, make it hard to forget. Look. We did that.

UPDATE: While putting together this post, I found this link about the 10 U.S. cities most safe from natural disaster. Predictably, living along the Gulf Coast insulates you from nothing.